Career success doesn’t define happiness.

We are hardwired, from the moment we take our first breath, to start competing for a spot of our own in life. Everyone starts telling us what we should do and what we should aspire to in order to become successful, and by “successful,” they of course mean financial success.

I have yet to hear a parent tell their son to, “be whatever you want to be” or “follow your passion” or even, “be an artist if you’d like!” Nope, few encourage their children to do what they love if, in fact, what they love may not bring financial stability. It is understandable for parents who might have struggled to make ends meet, to hope their kids won’t go through the same adversities. Yet, are we preparing them for disillusionment? Is money all that matters when we choose our paths in life?

An acquaintance of mine, at the age of 38, decided to quit his job as a pilot. He told me he quit when his mom died because he felt he had only become a pilot for her, so that she would be proud and happy. She loved to see him in that uniform, looking successful! But he wasn’t happy. He didn’t have a place to call home, and I suspect he still doesn’t. After his mother’s death, he chose to become a teacher, and still, he is not happy. Perhaps this is in part because he keeps hoping to find that elusive happiness he wasn’t able to identify at an earlier age as he felt forced into a chosen career.